Also featuring a selection of my wildlife & nature photographs and videos from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire UK and further afield.

Saturday, 22 October 2011

Two Kinds of Beasts!

Firstly, Blogger is playing up so sorry for the formatting at the bottom of this page and I have also been unable to comment for quite some time. I'm not ignoring you!

I spent a few hours selecting my location; this is always crucial as it can make all the difference with wildlife photography. I had no intention of photographing the deer on this day, it was all about preperation.After selecting my spot (deep in the forest) I quickly built myself a hide from dead branches etc and then left the area.

This was the view from my hide, where hopefully I would capture some rutting and even a fight between two bucks; if I was lucky.

The following day I was sat in the hide at 7.30am with a cammo net draped over the front. It was cold, damp and again I was sat in a very uncomfortable position with a tree root sticking in my butt!It's all about patience now, just staying very still and quiet while listening for any noises, which would tell me that a deer or another mammal was close by.The buck was roaring nearby and the noise was getting closer, so I knew he was making his way towards me.I saw him peering through some bracken, checking the area was safe. He was just to my left making his way to the clearing.

I was ready, the pain and the cold was gone, just my will remained, for him to stand in the clearing.To put the work in and vision a shot; then to walk away with that shot is an achievement.He got closer and was now on the edge of the clearing, just a few more steps and I could get the shot I was after.

He stood there for a few minuets and I could tell he was nervous. Had he picked up me scent? Doubtful as I had the wind in my face; it must be something else.Then I heard it; loud talking in a forein language!He was gone, disappeared into the forest and my teeth were grating as I had been only moments away from my goal.I just sat there looking in the direction of the voices. The talking became louder and then I saw them; bucket toting fungi collectors!They had no idea I was there even though they were no more than 5 metres away from me, but even worse they had no idea that they had just disturbed a rutting area. Either that, or they didn't care.They moved out of sight, but not far, so my time had been wasted in this area. Thoroughly "%**+= off I decided to move about 250 metres to another location.

45min I had been sat in the second location when I heard a noise coming from behind me. It sounded heavy and could only be a mammal I thought as I sat there ready for whatever it was to walk past me.This is what walked past me!

There were three of them in total and I knew it was useless to carry on. All my preperation had been wasted, all my time and effort gone in a flash.I understand that the forest is for all to enjoy, but the forest is a big place and I couldn't believe that they chose the part I was camped out in.

I decided to get some fungi shots (before the three amigos collected it all). So I snapped on my macro lens and went fungi humting.

Here are some of the fungi I found with some MINI BEASTS!

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They weren't the only Beasts that had been in the forest! I came across this; a half full fuel container, left behind from Forestry Opperations

About Me

My name is Robin Ward, I was born and I have lived in the Forest of Dean all my life. I consider myself privileged to live in such a beautiful place.
Having a massive passion for all our wildlife I have created a blog as a diary, covering all wildlife.
I have also created another blog, dedicated to our beautiful snakes that we have here, in the Forest of Dean.
I have been monitoring and surveying areas for the adder and grass snake for many years and will do for the rest of my life.
It's not a sin to love wildlife, we need it to survive!
Robin Ward

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Wildlife Comes First

I am not just a photographer. I have always had and always will have a massive passion for wildlife and nature. When I am photographing wildlife I always put the animal first, if I feel it will be too stressful I will move away. Only when I am satisfied that my subjects are relaxed, will I photograph them.
I work hard with our native snakes, surveying and managing certain areas for them in the winter, so they have a good habitat when they emerge from hibernation in the spring. Over the years I have learned a lot and now I never move the snakes for photography purposes. My photographs you see of the snakes are of them in their natural environment.

Some people ask me how I know so much about certain subjects, like our snakes, wild boar and deer? The answer is simple, my passion for our wildlife is overwhelming and I want to learn as much about it as possible.
My photography is just an extension of my passion, my way of showing others what I see.

I am self taught with everything I know, but it doesn't come easy and it doesn't happen over night! I will carry on learning for the rest of my life through reading, research and practice.